When using endoscopes or laparoscopes, it is important that they are warmed to human body temperature or the objective optics will fog up. For this reason, there are several “scope warmers” on the market, including ‘passive’ devices that use an exothermic reaction, and active systems that use electrical heaters.
One of the electrical units, offered by New Wave Surgical of Coral Springs, Fla., is called the Defogging Heated Endoscopic Lens Protector. The tip of the laparoscope is inserted into a fist-sized, battery operated “anti-fog warmer” and white light balancer. The unit has a very short battery life, and it is discarded after use. Another option is offered by Mediflex of Islandia, N.Y. This design provides a plug-in heater with a 15-meter cord which is also disposed of after surgery. Both of these solutions are expensive and not ‘environmentally friendly’ due to the waste generated.
Due to the fact that rechargeable batteries cannot tolerate the heat of an autoclave (270° F.), and because batteries are not environmentally friendly, an electrically powered alternative design remains an outstanding need.